Fostering Vietnam – Australia strategic partnership

President Tran Dai Quang and his spouse hosted the official welcoming ceremony for the Governor-General of Australia Peter Cosgrove and his spouse in Hanoi on the morning of May 24. (Photo: infonet.vn)

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NDO - The Governor-General of Australia Peter Cosgrove and his spouse began a four-day State visit to Vietnam on May 23, at the invitation of President Tran Dai Quang.

Taking place at a time when the two countries are celebrating the 45th founding anniversary of their diplomatic ties (1973-2018), the visit is a significant political event as it demonstrates the reaffirmation of the aspiration of two countries’ leaders and people in fostering the Vietnam – Australia strategic partnership in a more substantive and effective manner.

The Vietnamese people gladly share the pride of the Australian leaders and people on their achievements in national construction. Australia has maintained a stable political situation with 25 years of growth without a recession.

Australia is currently among the countries with the strongest economic growth in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Regarding its external relations, Australia has boosted an independent, self-reliant, and active foreign policy. It has also attached great attention to fostering its connections with ASEAN and supporting the bloc’s central role.

Established in 1973, the friendship and cooperative ties between Vietnam and Australia have witnessed fine developments, especially since the two countries exalted their relationship to a comprehensive partnership in 2009 and signed a declaration on enhancing the Australia-Vietnam comprehensive partnership in 2015.

On the occasion of Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s official visit to Australia in March 2018, the two countries established a strategic partnership, opening a new page in their bilateral relations.

The fine political relationship is marked by reciprocal high-level visits between the two countries’ leaders. The two sides have maintained the bilateral cooperation mechanisms, including deputy ministerial-level foreign affairs and defence strategic dialogues, and the joint committee on cooperation in science and technology. Australia considers Vietnam as a key partner in ASEAN and highly appreciates Vietnam’s role within ASEAN.

Economic, trade and investment cooperation is a bright spot in the Vietnam-Australia relationship. The two-way trade reached nearly US$6.5 billion in 2017, up 22.2% against 2016. To date, Australia has invested approximately US$1.8 billion in 412 projects in Vietnam, ranking 20th among the 126 countries and territories that are currently investing in Vietnam. Australia is one of the largest providers of non-refundable ODA and provided AUD160 million in aid provision to build the Cao Lanh bridge in Vietnam.

The two countries have also forged strong cooperation in education, with roughly 30,000 Vietnamese students currently studying in Australia.

Security and defence cooperation has also become more diverse. Cooperation in tourism, labour, transport, industry, agriculture, and culture is also developing and bringing many practical benefits to the two countries’ peoples.

There are about 300,000 Overseas Vietnamese people in Australia, who have been provided with favourable conditions from the host country in their living, studying and business operations, thereby serving as a friendship bridge boosting the development of the bilateral ties.

Vietnam and Australia cooperate effectively within regional and international cooperation frameworks such as the United Nations, the East Asia Summit, and APEC.

The Vietnam visit of the Governor-General of Australia Peter Cosgrove and his spouse, taking place at a time when the two countries are celebrating the 45th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties, aims to reaffirm the determination of the two countries’ leaders and people in fostering the Vietnam – Australia strategic partnership and consolidating mutual political trust.

The visit is also a good opportunity for the two sides to discuss solutions to foster the all-round cooperation in a more substantive and effective manner, while exchanging their opinions on regional and international issues of mutual concern, contributing to peace, stability, and development in the region and the world at large.